Michael Ellis As Angel

Psst. Wanna read a well-written, entertaining book? It’s filled with amazingly detailed descriptions of surroundings and dialogue from exciting events going back many years. It reads like zippy fiction.

Unfortunately, I’m afraid that’s what this book essentially is: fiction.

It’s The Metabolife Story: The Rape of Cinderella, by Mike Ellis, one of three owners of the former multilevel marketer of diet pills containing ephedra, banned in 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration after it was linked with 155 deaths. In 2005, Metabolife pleaded guilty to filing false income tax returns and declared bankruptcy. The 414-page book is self-published and available through M.J. Ellis Publishing (themjellisgroup.com) for $24.95 plus $4.95 shipping and handling. The gist is that Metabolife International had an absolutely safe product and chaste accounting, and the Food and Drug Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and Department of Justice conspired to destroy the company through illegal and unethical tactics, punishing its three undebauched owner/managers for transgressions they did not commit. That thesis is simply not credible.

After reading the book, I had a long interview with Ellis, who recently got out of prison, where he served six months for making false statements about the diet pill’s safety. I conferred with the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Justice and talked with the Reader’s Matt Potter, who, like me, has covered this story for around a decade.

Ellis cites many villains in his adventure, but the most damnable one is Phil Halpern, assistant U.S. attorney in San Diego. Over 23 years, Halpern has been a major prosecutor in many of San Diego’s most high-profile criminal cases: Randy (Duke) Cunningham, Brent Wilkes, Kyle (Dusty) Foggo, of recent vintage. “A federal prosecutor is not engaged in a popularity contest seeking approval of those he indicts, convicts, and imprisons,” says Halpern. “I’m sure that if you talked to any of the scores of federal felons I have prosecuted and that find themselves in prison, I wouldn’t be voted their best friend.”

The book excoriates Halpern over and over again. Each time, the name is misspelled: “H-a-l-p-r-i-n.”

And that brings us to a crucial question: Who wrote this book? I asked Ellis how in the world he could remember every word of lengthy interlocutions from years ago and how he could reconstruct talk that had taken place when he wasn’t there. The book is structured like a novel, filled with informal dialogue that one doesn’t see in nonfiction. “I did have a writer who helped me get the grammar so I didn’t look like a complete idiot,” says Ellis. “We worked together on the outline, the way it was laid out.” Still, Ellis insists, “He was not a ghostwriter. This was almost all my work.” He would not identify the writer who helped him, and the book does not refer to any editorial assistant.

Ellis describes his lifelong best friend, Mike Blevins, as an upstanding person. In 1988, the two were arrested for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine from a house in Rancho Santa Fe. Blevins got five and a half years in prison and Ellis got five years on probation. Blevins did it to raise money for his ailing mother, claims Ellis. Why did Ellis do it? “Stupidity,” he says. Ellis says Blevins’s father set them up in a government sting so he could get a lighter sentence for his own drug transgressions.

According to a Reader story by Matt Potter in 1999, federal court records showed that the senior Blevins and his son had dealt cocaine together. Drug Enforcement Administration records showed that Michael Blevins and another person were arrested in early 1975 for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The charge was dismissed. Cocaine money went into real estate deals Michael Blevins had in Otay Mesa, according to federal prosecutors. By the early 1980s, Michael Blevins was hanging out with a reputed Chicago mobster who headed a large-scale narcotics operation, said Potter’s story. In 1973, Michael Blevins was charged with battery on a police officer. One charge of cocaine distribution was reduced to possession. In mid-1975, he got a three-year suspended sentence and a year of probation.

Ellis claims he doesn’t know about most of those misdeeds. But why did Blevins get a long sentence for the meth-lab crime and Ellis only get probation? “Mike had things in his past,” says Ellis.

By the mid-1990s, Ellis, Blevins, and one Robert Bradley owned Metabolife, and all got rich as Metabolife became one of the world’s largest purveyors of diet supplements. In mid-2002, the Internal Revenue Service, suspecting tax fraud, raided the office of the company’s accountant, Michael Compton, and the Rancho Santa Fe Farms home of Blevins. In November of the following year, the affidavit for the search warrant was unsealed. That affidavit revealed that Compton admitted he had traveled with Bradley and Ellis to set up offshore accounts and trusts. With Compton’s blessings, the company kept two sets of books. Compton had inquired of another person if he would be criminally liable if he knew that corporate tax returns had not reported cash that had come into the company. He was told he would be.

Ten days after the affidavit was unsealed, Compton committed suicide. Here’s how Ellis spins it in the book: The IRS discovered Compton had lied on forms when purchasing a home. Therefore, the agency threatened that it would get his accounting license yanked unless he told lies about Bradley committing fraud. There follows more than a page of presumably exact dialogue as Compton tells Bradley over the phone what the IRS wants him to do: “They’re asking me to lie about you,” the book quotes Compton complaining to Bradley, “…that you embezzled money from Metabolife.” And on and on.

“Mr. Ellis’s flight of fancy is comical,” says Halpern, pointing out that neither Compton nor his attorney ever raised a single claim suggesting any type of improper conduct by the government.

Ellis’s book stresses that neither he nor Blevins was charged with tax fraud. True, but Metabolife itself and Bradley pleaded guilty to several counts of tax fraud. Metabolife admitted not reporting more than $1 million of income in 1997 and 1998. Those false tax returns had been prepared by Compton. Bradley, the company bean counter, created off-the-book accounts and a web of shell companies. Bradley subsequently got six months for tax evasion. Halpern argued that he should get more than that because of his use of offshore tax and secrecy havens.

My sister used Metabolife years ago with great success, I too warned her of the dangers of the product based upon what I'd heard. She has always tried to convince me that the product was safe and effective ... Hmmm? She recently bought me the book because she felt I should read the story because I had many questions about the company. I read it this past week. It changed my view completely. How come it is ok for pharmaceutical companies to sell weight loss pills which they
1) Compare their ingredients to Metabolife?
2) Contains much more ephedra and caffeine than Metabolife ever did?
3) If Metabolife was a killer, why did they and other companies get 60 days to sell out there lots?
I thought Mike Ellis was a bad person, a fat cat, a tax cheat, one who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. I now know the other side of the story. There has got to be balance, I have a better view now, actually have a more well rounded opinion of the man. You seem to cover very little of the story. I guess you have a personal agenda when it comes to Mr. Ellis? I was wrong in my opinion of the man, the business, the product.

Mr. Bauder I based my opinion strictly upon the book, and by going to his site to see if the statements were backed up. I came to the blog to express my thoughts, that's all ... actually, if I was someone that worked with Mr Ellis or had a connection I'd hope he could scratch me a check ... one thing is for sure, he made a lot of money! Thank you for responding, and continued good luck.

It looks like Ellis is still wealthy even though he "was drug through the knot hole" and convicted of crimes he claims he didn't commit. If he can afford to hire a professional writer, and self-publish the book, he must have held on to some of the loot.

Well well Donnie boy great minds think a like and so do stupid ones... I must say your first blog really got me going, and so do some of the dumb people that post on your blog hahaha. Ellis' book is wild, with twists, turns and had me laughing, I stayed up all night reading it. This guy has got a best seller on his hands.Dam!! CRAZY!! How did he do it? Well at least Ellis' new product can't be blamed for killing anyone. I must say it makes a lot of sense how Ellis' explained it, but who am I to say anything I wasn't there. Donnie boy how come you didn't write in your story about what the book talks about? Oh well you should have made Ellis prove what his book says. He makes a lot of claims in there how the IRS moved bags around with a gun in it. Sounds crazy!! Donnie boy you must tell me how do you know if this book is fiction or non fiction, cause your story dose not explain that part very well. Donnie boy I love the book too I just wish you would have asked for the proof Ellis' says he has.
Kisses

See Don, ONEHUNGLOW, yet another gimmick account with only one post who is just like the other one post gimmicks in these Ellis/Metabolife threads. The gimmick accounts make one or two posts bolstering Ellis then disappear forever.

I can guarantee you they are all the same person and most likely Ellis himself.

Response to post #3: I do not think Ellis is an idiot -- far from it. I do believe he has lost touch with reality. I would not be surprised if he actually believes what is in this book. Best, Don Bauder

I do not think Ellis is an idiot -- far from it. I do believe he has lost touch with reality. I would not be surprised if he actually believes what is in this book.

Of course he believes what is in his book, and he believes others believe him.

He appears to be a compulsive liar-because he actually believes his lies, and that what I mean when I used the term "idiot". In any event Ellis is detached from reality-because he actually believes he is influencing other people with these tall tales.

I have seen compulsive liars before and they actually believe the tales they are spinning are being believed by the people who hear them, when in reality the ones who hear these whoppers know from the get go that they nothing more than huge lies.

Donnie boy I can't beleave you gave that answer. There was so much that could have been covered in that review, including the charge that the government planted evidence. A reviewer can't touch on everything. Best, Don Bauder
Look I could care less about Ellis but for you not to cover the part about planted evidence in your story is crazy.... Anyway I must say this SurfP_ssy619 is a person with a lot of hate. Every time someone has a differint view of the story you and SurfP_ssy619 jump all over them and call them Ellis. Why is that? FUNNY BUNNY :-) This SurfP_ssy619 got me to look at your other blogs as well Donnie boy, and they all are the same.. Something smells like old toilet cheese, and I don't care to get my shoes stuck to the floor in this dirty bathroom..
Tute-a-lue Donnie boy....

Response to post #13: In his book, Ellis concedes that many people will not believe him. It's true that one reason a sociopath can be so convincing is that he believes the tale he is spinning. I don't know that Ellis fits into that category, however. Best, Don Bauder

What else would you expect but fiction from someone sent to prison for lying to the government? I know, the book probably says it was everyone else’s fault and Ellis did nothing wrong. Isn’t that what all the convicted criminals say?

BA BA BA BA BA BA......SOMEBODY PUT OUT AN ALERT TO FIND THE SHEPARD BECAUSE THE SHEEP ARE LOST AND NEED TO BE FOUND. I 1ST COMMENTED ON THE STORY REPORTED ON ELLIS TOWARDS THE END OF JAN 09. SEE BELOW:

ANYWAY I READ THE BOOK AND IN THIS DAY AND AGE NOTHING SURPRISES ME.WHAT A GREAT READ. MAKES ME THINK ABOUT HOW BIG BROTHER KEEPS THOSE EYES ON ALL WHO WANT TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM. UNBELIEVABLE.

1ST OF ALL EVERYONE HAS A PAST. WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO THROW STONES? EVERYONE READING THIS BLOG HAS ONE. SOME OF US HAVE NEVER BEEN CAUGHT. TAKES A REAL MAN/WOMAN TO APOLOGIZE. ELLIS APOLOGIZED FOR HIS PAST RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FRIEND BLEVINS. MY OWN OPINION....WHILE HIS ACTIONS WERE ILLEGAL, HIS HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE TO ATTEMPT TO HELP SAVE HIS FRIEND'S MOMS LIFE. DOESN'T MAKE THOSE ACTIONS RIGHT, TALK ABOUT A FRIEND PUTTING IT ALL ON THE LINE. I CAN COUNT MY FRIENDS ON ONE HAND AND WOULD THEY GO THAT FAR TO HELP ME SAVE MY MOMS IF SHE LIED THERE DYING??? DOUBT IT. MAYBE 1 OF THEM.

WHAT A TWIST OF FATE.... WHEN HIS OLD MAN BECOMES ILL, THIS DUDE READS UP ON NATURAL MEDICINE THAT HAS BEEN USED FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, GOES TO THE FAR EAST TO LEARN MORE....THE FAR EAST..... COME ON PEOPLE..... RETURNS TO THE STATES AND ADDS YEARS TO HIS DADS LIFE BEFORE HE ULTIMATELY PASSES AWAY. NEVER MIND THE FACT THAT METABOLIFE 356 WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT-LOSS PRODUCT IN HISTORY. 7BILLION SERVINGS. PHARMA DIDN'T LIKE SOMEONE .....BETTER YET A PUNY COMPANY FULL OF SO CALLED AVGERAGE PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME WITH DIRT UNDER OUR FINGERNAILS BEING ABLE TO MOVE ON UP LIKE THE JEFFERSONS.

THIS GUY WAS LIVING THE DREAM AND THEN IT WAS ALL SYSTEMATICALLY STOLEN FROM HIS FAMILY, PARTNERS AND COWORKERS. WOW. ALL OF THIS IS PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. ITS MUCH EASIER TO OPEN ONES MOUTH TO COMMENT VS READING. WHO HAS THE TIME TO READ ANYMORE RIGHT??? SO MUCH EASIER TO WATCH THE NEWS THAT HAS BEEN CHOPPED AND EDITED FOR ALL YOU SHEEPS OUT THERE.

FORGET ABOUT ELLIS FOR 30 SECONDS OR LONGER IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH. I CHALLENGE....I DARE ANYONE WHO CARES ABOUT LIMITING THE RADIATING INFLUENCIAL POWER BIG PHARMA MAINTAINS AS A RESULT OF STRATEGICALLY PLANNED BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS WITH MAJOR GLOBAL FOOTPRINT AND U.S. COMPANIES, TO RESEARCH THE DIRECTION NATURAL MEDICINE/HERBS ARE HEADED THIS VERY SECOND AS YOUR EYES LAY UPON THIS BLOG AND IN THE FUTURE. EMPOWER YOURSELVES..BA BA BA BA BA...BECOME AWARE OF THE MAJOR TURNS OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS HEADED INSTEAD OF EMBRACING THE ATMOSPHERE OF GROUP THINK SELECTIVE MEDIA PONZI AIRINGS WE SEE ALL DAY LONG ON OUR FLATSCREENS.

THINK ABOUT YOURSELF BECAUSE NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU LIKE YOU. THINK OF THOSE YOU CARE FOR SUCH AS YOUR KIDS, NIECES, NEPHEWS WHO MAY WANT OR BE IN NEED OF NATURAL MEDS. DOES THE FUTURE REALLY HOLD FOR US TO NEED A PRESCRIPTION FOR NATURAL MEDS? I DON'T LIKE THE TASTE OF BIG PHARMA UP IN MY CHOICE OF NATURAL MEDS. DO YOU?

OH AND DON, YOU THOUGHT I FORGOT ABOUT YOU FAMILY. NO NO NO. HOW COULD I? WITH ALL YOUR CREDENTIALS AND ACCOLADES HOW DARE YOU NOT REPORT AND RESEARCH ALL THE FACTS. WOULDN'T YOUR MENTOR BE ASHAMED OR ROLLING OVER IN HIS GRAVE. NO DISRESPECT. GOD BLESS HIM. HOW DARE YOU? THATS LIKE HULK HOGAN NOT RIPPING HIS SHIRT OFF DURING PRE-TEND WRESTING. I COULD NEVER LOOSE FAITH IN YOU BECAUSE I NEVER HAD ANY IN YOU. I'M FROM THE MIDWEST AND WAS RESEARCHING COUPLE AREAS TO MOVE TOO AND LOOKED AT THE READER OF WHICH I HEARD FROM A FRIEND WAS THE PAPER TO READ IN DIEGO. I'VE RESEARCHED YOU AND UNDERSTAND YOU'VE BEEN ON THIS STORY FOR YEARS. WHAT A SHAME TO END YOUR YEARS ON THIS NOTE. I TRULY FEEL SORRY FOR YOU.

Back to lower case guys. The caps quickly lose their effect. Metabolife was a remarkable product, with a remarkable local marketing effort. At the same time, just a few years ago, they had both Roger Hedgecock and Ted Leitner doing on-air testimonials about it. Both claimed to use the stuff regularly, and both said they were "two pants sizes" smaller as a result. They both spoke about it with enough sincerity that I came to believe they used it.

But then the advertising dollars to the respective radio stations stopped, and we've never heard a peep from either of them about the "benefits" of Metabolife. Oh, abut that time, Rick Roberts on KFMB was pushing some stuff called Body Solutions that claimed to have no ephedra while accomplishing the same ends. He said that he was "two pants sizes" smaller as a result of using that product. But, as with all such efforts, the end came, and we never hear from him about that product.

Get a grip folks! Those things cannot have you losing weight without side effects. The unfortunate part of all this is that ephedra has some major side effects. Most FDA approved prescription drugs have side effects, and some can be devastating. But they are known, and the patients are alerted to the side effects each time a prescription is filled. Metabolife had no such real warnings.

Response to post #25: Of course Leitner and Hedgecock stopped talking about the wonders of Metabolife. Nobody was paying them to tout the product anymore. Do you think they actually took it? As to side effects, there is no question of serious ones, including death, with ephedra. Best, Don Bauder

WELL WELL THE READER IS A SAD SAD PAPER AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE POINT OF VIEW HERE... I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE WRITING RESPONSES ARE ELLIS SUPPORTERS NO QUESTION. ELLIS HAS THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS NATION WIDE, BUT DOSE THAT MEAN THEY ARE WRONG? MAYBE ALL THE POSTS ARE YOU DONNIE BOY, TRYING TO MAKE YOUR BS STORY HOLD WATER... I WORKED IN MEDIA FOR YEARS AT A REAL MEDIA OUTLET! AND THIS IS A SAD ATTEMPT AT MEDIA. SORRY BUT THE FACT IS THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME. LIKE I SAID THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE POINT OF VIEW ON THIS SITE... OH YA MY REAL NAME DESIRAE NOT ELLIS!!!

By ONEHUNGLOW

Now I get it - to live the American ‘dream’ I have to create and sell a dangerous addicting product, lie about and try to cover up the evidence against it when it comes out, evade taxes and launder 93.7 million dollars into off shore accounts( http://www.quackwatch.org/14Legal/blevins.html ) , take advantage of and screw over as many people as I can in the process including my wife, then act like a victim, roll over on my friends, and display fake humility when I get caught, and finally write a book about it, and lie about and belittle the people that helped me make my fortune. Yeah I can see why Ellis has so many fans – what a guy. He is definitely my role model.

Don, since you've read the book, does he talk about his relationships with the politicians?

I seem to recall his being a big contributor to Bilbray and Cunningham, among others...and weren't a lot of the Metabolife ads on conservative talk shows both locally and nationally? (Didn't Matt Potter report on this?)

I understood that he won himself a lot of support in congress, which was instrumental in passing legislation that prevented the FDA from regulating "herbal cures".

Seems I started quite a firefight. Listen, all I wanted to let folks know is this ... I was wrong in my impression of the man, the product, and the company ... I still have my reservations about some of Mr. Ellis' choices, but, I have many more questions about the FDA, IRS, and the DOJ. The book itself was a great read, I was really surprised, and I do urge those of you who may have been users of the product to read it. I think we are all entitled to our opinion, but at least have those decisions be made knowing all the facts. The FDA has been shown to be corrupt by their own scientists, 8 of whom just recently came forward to expose what they felt was corruption which would cause American's their lives. We know it's broken, a lot of the system is, it's still the best in the world ... but, we should all be a part of asking ?'s, finding the truth, and making money.

Response to post #31: I do not write any responses to columns or website items, other than those in my own name. I only respond to others who write in. So the deck isn't stacked against you. Best, Don Bauder

Response to post #36: Her name is spelled Penni Crabtree. That's one of several misspellings in the book. Another is the law firm O'Melveny & Myers. Incidentally, Penni Crabtree is an excellent reporter. I hope she doesn't get fired after the brass see my praise of her. Best, Don Bauder

Response to post #40: The book doesn't get into the subject of his political donations, but I did. The book criticizes big pharmaceutical companies for making donations to politicians. I asked him about his contributions to Bilbray, etc. and whether his piety on the topic was hypocritical. He said everybody deserves scrutiny for political donations. This was one of several things that hit the cutting room floor. I didn't have room for it. Best, Don Bauder

The book criticizes big pharmaceutical companies for making donations to politicians.

I will say this, the pharmaceutical industry buys a lot of power in Washington DC. That industry is the most profitable in America, with a profit margin in the high teens. They are as dirty as they come.

So I would put nothing past that industry. All you have to do is look at the prescription drug act (Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Act) pushed through Congress by Billy Tauzin- who pulled one of the biggest scams in legislative history.

Well, I have gotta say, this back and forth is getting pretty ridiculous, bottom line, this is a free rag, and the journalistic integrity reflects that. Personal attacks launched without the other side of the story are wrong, have been wrong and will always be wrong. This article is not badly written, but researched with obvious vitriol and anger toward Mr. Ellis ... just be fair Don, either way, Ellis is on the hook, if he makes any false statements his arse will land back in jail. He isn't aiming low, nor is he hesitant to connect the dots ... with names. If he was such a bad guy, such a tax cheat, an arms dealer, a drug dealer, after years of litigation, six months for a false statement is the best they could do? Great use of taxpayer money, what a joke! Oh and I guess the money his over 80,000 distributors made as well as his employees now without jobs wasn't needed here in San Diego. Guess you and Penny Crabtree made your bones on the Metabolife report back in the day and are trying to go 20/20 style again huh? Oh is her hubby still enjoying that cushy post with his big pharma employer? Funny how that worked ... and she hasn't been heard from since ... shame when you can't come clean. And with that, I bow out, I'm at Real Time with Bill Maher, another cat unafraid to speak his mind truthfully!

Well, I have gotta say, this back and forth is getting pretty ridiculous, bottom line, this is a free rag, and the journalistic integrity reflects that. Personal attacks launched without the other side of the story are wrong, have been wrong and will always be wrong.

By pagodacup

Ellis, if we're wrong then set us straight.

No un supported conclusory claims, provide us with some proof of your allegations.

Surfpuppy I agree with your thought in #57. You make some great points in your comments, and some valid ones in others. Ellis is not a choir boy, neither am I, and if we all were under this microscope ... wouldn't you fight with whatever means you had to get the truth out? For yourself? For your family? He had some very serious allegations leveled against him, his family and business partners. I think that we are all numb to the foul actions we learn that abound in our gov't as a whole, but especially within the FDA. It's almost as if we expect it. I don't want to be bitter because we live in the best country in the world. Hate him or love him, Ellis seized his opportunity and did help millions of people. His product was proven to be safe and effective when used in accordance with the labeling and when ok'd by the person's physician. I just think the fact that an even stronger ephedrine based weight loss product being sold by a pharmaceutical company is available now, when his and many others like his were banned because they used the naturally occurring form in Ma Huang is frightening. Why are there no warnings on a Coke not to take it with ephedra products? How come Starbucks has no warnings? children's cold meds? I mean, they said Metabolife was responsible for killing Americans. Just thoughts, just thoughts ... I wish you all a wonderful weekend I'm glad we can agree to disagree and have a forum to express our thoughts. Peace.

I read the book and frankly really enjoyed it. We should all be concerned about the methods our government used to shut down this business. We should be especially concerned with the possibility that they may use some of these same methods to shut down our businesses and take away our rights. The Metabolife owners had the resources to hire competent attorneys to represent them - something that many of us don't have. I still remember the headlines about a $93 million dollar tax fraud and the raid on the business and the homes of the owners. The reality was that the $93 million number was all hype to get headlines. The raid was "leaked to the press" by who? - you guessed it our government, with the sole purpose to negatively impact the public setiment about the company - it must be true if these claims are being made, right? Not necessarily....

It should be a concern for all of us if only some of the statements made by Ellis in this book are true.

I was pleased to read that Mike Ellis admited to and apologized for his mistakes. When the press makes mistakes or our government makes mistakes, they seldom apologize. Stories are rarely retracted, even when the truth comes out.

I hope that Mike Ellis decides to give us more books with more details. Shine more light on our government's heavy handed practices.

SurfP_ssy619 your post in #57 was right. I have to ask you, if you think that, then how come you can't believe that Metabolife was taking money from big pharms pockets and they didn't like it? This guy went through some BS, it went as far as a reporter from the union writing horrible storys when her hubby was working for a big pharma company trying to make a weightloss product. That sounds like a big set up. Who knows? Just seems funny..

I don't know why you put everyone that see's that something dose not add up, in a group calling us Ellis. This government's corupt and never admits wrong doing. I think everyone can agree with that. Why is this so hard to believe that Ellis was riped apart for no other reason then he became a success, it makes a lot of sense.

Response to post #67: I was the one who had the first story on the affidavit. I heard about Compton's suicide. I called the government and found that a judge had unsealed the affidavit. It was faxed to me at my request. Unless the person who told me about Compton's suicide had been set up by someone in the government (and I doubt that seriously), the document was not "leaked" in the traditional sense. Best, Don Bauder

Response to post #72. Don, how are your comments a response to my comments? I was referring to the raid of the company - not Compton's suicide. When the FDA, IRS and FBI conduct a raid, it is supposed to be kept confidential for obvious purposes. I question how the press found out about the raid to be able to cover it on the news. This is not an isolated incident, it happens all of the time and it really bothers me. I think Mike Ellis' book gives the reader some real insight into what was going on behind the scenes (of course from his perspective). I personally thought it was a pretty bold move on his part to write this book.

Response to post #76: I don't remember that the raid on Metabolife itself was covered by the media. I may be wrong on that. Some government raids are covered, some are not.

I want to add one note: I have covered multi-level marketing (more accurately called pyramid marketing) for decades. I believe most are scams because only a handful of people at the top ever make money. The others lose. But they keep coming back -- rather like Vegas. With near-religious zeal, people cling to the idea that there will be a payoff some time down the road. They attack anyone in the press who exposes pyramid marketing. I have had these people shouting at me for years and years. The Ellis supporters on this thread may not be one person, as SurfPuppy suggests. They may just be the pyramid marketing folks expressing their support, as they are entitled to do. Pyramid marketing (also called multi-level marketing and network marketing) is similar to a Ponzi scheme. Best, Don Bauder

Response to #77. Don, thank you for acknowledging that you may be wrong. The news media was there to record the raid. I guess my point is why the government feels that their raids need to be covered by the news. My conclusion is that our government "leaks" the news of the raids to discredit the accused and the news uses it to get more viewers.

Metabolife was one of the first companies to shift from multi-level marketing to direct marketing. As part of the shift to retail, the distributors were well taken care of. When the raid happened, Metabolife was selling their products directly to the retailers - Walmart, CVS, Costco, etc. So this wasn't a "shut-down" of a multi-level marketing company since the company had gone retail. For you to present this company as some sort of a pyramid scheme is a misrepresentation of the facts.

Response to post #78: Can you cite a news report showing that the media were there for the raid? If I see a clipping, I will know. I don't believe I said that the government's objective was to shut down a multi-level marketing operation. There are plenty of them out there, and few are ever shut down. The FDA was legitimately interested in stopping ephedra. The IRS/DOJ's interest was tax-dodging (along with lesser things such as the gun charges). Best, Don Bauder

When the FDA, IRS and FBI conduct a raid, it is supposed to be kept confidential for obvious purposes.

By TheReader

100% false.

Many times law enforcement, including the IRS, SEC and FBI not only brief the media concurrently with the raid but actually BRING media along on raids, for the very purpose of making it a high profile public raid.

This is very common in criminal investigations, such as Metabolife.

Here is a good example, Sentator Ted Stevens home was raided by the FBI and IRS. It was a high profile public event with law enforcement bringing media along;

100% false - are you kidding me? When a search warrant is sealed, it is not to be disclosed to anyone...but the government leaks it to the press and they are never held accountable for doing so. How about comments from this article:

Source: San Diego Business Journal
Publication Date: 15-JUL-02

IRS remains mum on raid at Metabolife facilities.

An apparent taxation dispute between Metabolife International and the Internal Revenue Service led to the seizure of dozens of boxes of documents last week both at the diet supplement maker's headquarters office in Kearny Mesa and a nearby warehouse.

IRS special agents executed sealed search warrants on the privately held company July 9, prompting the company to close its doors and send all its employees home that day, reopening the following day.

Tami Stine, an IRS spokeswoman, said IRS special agents with its criminal investigation unit executed the search warrants at the company's two locations, but divulged no reasons for the seizure.

"The investigation is ongoing, and the search warrants are sealed," she said.

Here's the caption and here's a link to the article with a picture of the IRS agents during the raid.

Union-Tribune file photo
Once the nation's leading seller of ephedra products, San Diego's Metabolife International faces an uncertain future without the herbal stimulant that brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. Above, IRS agents raid Metabolife's headquarters in 2002.

Response to post #82 and 83: If the 2002 photo is indeed a "file photo," then it's certainly likely that the press was at the raid. I have gone to raids that I have heard about, and then barged in, and I have been to ones in which the government revealed that a raid was ongoing. I don't know which this might have been. Best, Don Bauder

At least you or one of your goons can swing back with limited facts huh? Some of your facts are correct and I respect that Don.

Just lay out all the facts. The book lays out facts through out the entire read.

Elementary My Dear Don-PuP.....a story you been reporting on for years remember your words??? Let me refresh your memory....Specifically, This article, 3rd paragraph, 2nd sentence. Your own words "I conferred with the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Justice and talked with the Reader’s Matt Potter, who, like me, has covered this story for around a decade." ~Don-Pup

P.S. - I know plenty of people that have been falsely accused and here's a guy who lays all on the table for anyone with eyes to read. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. That's fair, but the facts supersede even the best of combined theory's and "I don't remember's"

I end saying that this book has inspired me to keep pushing, believing, and ultimately knowing that the future holds Entrepreneurship for me as well. What a life this Man has lived.

Speed, the illegal drug derived from the same stuff as Metabolife, when used in small doses does have the effect of brightening your mood and suppressing appetite.

It also makes people highly productive, if a bit erratic.

Wouldn't it be interesting to track the stock market's gyrations over the last few decades to the amount of amphetamines in our nation's system? Not just crank or Metabolife, but also Ritalin(TM) and all the other products on offer through easy to obtain prescriptions.

Some speculate that Rome fell because of the lead lining the water pipes to the aristocracy. Maybe we're falling because of the speed, mostly legal, that's been coursing through the veins of our nations "leaders"?

Response to post #86: I used to wonder about productivity in New York City because of the prodigious consumption of alcohol. Top executives would come in late from Connecticut. They would go out for three-martini lunches. Then they might have another snort before taking the bar car on the 5 p.m. trip back to Connecticut. I tried to figure a way to adjust the New York productivity figures for alcohol intake, the same as GDP is adjusted for inflation. I could never figure out how to do it. There was a professor at UCSD, now deceased, who said Metabolife pills were just low-level speed. Best, Don Bauder

Sad you think I'm Ellis. Your facts are consistently inconsistent. Well some of what you report is actually factual while you purposely decide not to report all the facts. Very Sad. Hey...well you are no different than the majority in your chosen profession. How many agree with me? People have been getting railroaded for years.

I believe there are good reporters that present all the facts. And then there is this distinctive aroma which exist with people like you who feed off whatever makes stories juicy in astounding hopes that perhaps "The Story" will give you that extra push to ascend up the ladder to cushy positions while the entirety of the real story is left out and most likely the person whom the light is shining on is at the mercy of who? You guessed it. People like Don-Pup get the story and go back to their desks and get their sushi on. Chop,Chop,Edit,Edit...now don't forget to Chop and Edit.

Larry King is a good role model for you Don-Pup. Watch this pioneer/trailblazer and you just might learn how to give a complete story.

C'mon Don . Everyday is a gift...filled with new opportunities to be better in any area of your choosing. No matter the age. Look at Warren Buffet, Charles Schwab,Vince Lombardi,Larry King.... I hope the best for you. Be the best always and enjoy life no matter the weather.

Moron Boy makes a number of salient points to be sure. I really don't think Mr. Ellis would bother to take the time to defend himself on a blog for The Reader, no offense, so let's get that out of the way. If he was really guilty of the crimes for which he has been accused, then why was the only thing that stuck not actually a crime, and only for 6 months? This guy killed 10's of thousands right? The craziest fact and the one which has Surfpuppy's hackles up is that Metabolife was taken by 1 in 3 Americans according to a survey by Health Digest ... Oh, I read the book so before you go all Oliver Stone ... read it. Read the book, then make your decision, but base it upon all the facts people. At the end of the day, we can argue this till we pass out, peace be with you all ...

Ellis is a pathological liar. I knew him and the other two dirty ones. Their CPA was about to spill the beans when he "kills" himself. Not. Blevins is dirty from way back so was his dad and brother. Ellis was a dirty National City cop before it got hooked up with the Blevins meth bust. Don't believe a drop of this drivel from Ellis, anyone who knew them will tell you the truth. They are all dirty, no fiction story will change that. The book should be called the "Three Stooges Make Money and Kill People"

Response to post #101: In the course of reporting on this Metabolife story over ten years, I talked with several people who had the same views that you express. I was the first to report on the accountant's (Compton's) death, and at first I questioned whether it was in fact a suicide. In the course of doing this story on Ellis's book, I was assured that Compton's death was indeed a suicide. Best, Don Bauder

I'd like this yahoo the 1whoblows, to explain how they know Ellis and Blevins. Sounds like a bunch of BS. Also how do you know these things? Because by your comments you are only going by what the media has told you. Oh ya I forgot the world is filled with sheep who only believe what they hear and read from the media. Those are bold statments to make, so I hope you have the guts to say who you are and how you know Ellis and Blevins. Don't be afraid to tell your lies there is about 5 other sheep that blog on this site that will love to here your lies.... Come on now tell us your lies, it sounds like you believe them..

I'm calling BS on the "1whoblows" and I'm sure I'm not the 1st to do so..... Come on 1whoblows tell us how you know them...

Response to post #107: Yes, he was a cop in National City. It lasted about four years, according to the book (if that's accurate). He was involved in a shooting incident, but it allegedly didn't affect his career. Best, Don Bauder

The following post is just for thought: If CPA/Accountant Mike Compton had just paid for a hair transplant, was excited about an upcoming vacation, and was bragging about future plans with his kids, why would he kill himself the night before he was set to testify before the grand jury?

If in fact, open records on Michael Blevins' connection with a Chicago mobster and drug-related legal trouble existed well before Metabolife, what would stop someone who was on Interpol with a known criminal record from orchestrating a fake suicide? Why wouldn't Ellis and Bradley not do everything possible to stop Compton from ruining the great run on millions of dollars, hidden cash and off-shore accounts?

Some postings above refer to a multi-level marketing set-up for Metabolife. Who were the top in the downline chains of the pyramid?

None of these men were stupid. Each has substantial real estate and other holdings that they were smart enough to put in the names of other upstanding affluent San Diegans. "Little Enron By the Sea" otherwise known as San Diego and the county leaders along with top congressional democrats and republicans were very receptive to the "green" these men produced. Is anyone naive enough to believe that these same local, state and federal politicians would return financial contributions given in entity names or even by the men personally?

Not being a physician, there's no way I can comment on the effects of ephedra or its natural form from China. But, tax evasion is illegal for the rest of us last I checked.

"Since Metabolife 356 worked good, really good, number one in America. What do you think that would mean for the other products out there?"

========================================

yeah well i am ashamed to say that crystal meth worked to keep my weight down in the 80s...should we put that on the market too????
ewwwwwww gross. i wouldn't use either that or metabolife if u held a gun to my head now.

Great Scott! 112 "posts" and tonnes of pixels spilt over a mountain of BS, most of it misspelt by true believers who don't know how to think for themselves. Sadly, it reveals the old saw that it's a helluva lot easier to find a million suckers with a buck than one sucker with a million. Be reassured, Don, that most of your readers don't take the time to "post" comments, but are grateful for your work. In statistics, these are called outliers. Be not disturbed that outrightliars pollute the "figures." Figures lie and liars figger, blah, blah, blah.

Too bad that you can't seem to generate similar figures on issues of greater importance.

Response to post #113: The macro picture is the one that is most depressing -- terrifying, really -- but often it doesn't attract that many posts. I suspect that is true at other publications, too. The micro is often more titillating. Best, Don Bauder

Let me start by saying, I am a former employee of Metabolife International, Inc. I worked at Metabolife for several years. I was there for the entire taping of the interview on 20/20. What was aired was not exactly how things took place. So if the media splices thier shows, doesn't that tell you they lie? Logic would say yes. Have you seen the medical professionals out there over the internet that tell you how the ephedra was safe if taken correctly? Check out his website and you will see these interviews. By the way, ephedra is till sold in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Only thing is that it now comes from the larger companies. Do any of you question why the FDA banned Metabolife 356 because it was unsafe bt the larg company that sells a different product which we see aired on television and they state may cause death, kidney failure, heart attck or stroke? Why is that ok to sell but not Metabolife 356? hat should raise a red flag to everyone. And yes, of course Mr. Ellis still has money. Why would that ever suprise someone or even be a topic of conversation? I have never had a better boss and quite frankly, the rude comments about Mr. Ellis are unfounded. He has never claimed to be perfect, and he especially does not do so in his book. The book is a great read. Even if you knew nothing of Metabolife, it would be a good book. I remember a great deal of what he talks about and it was not a lie. I used to take Metabolife 356 and it worked very well, I lost 40 pounds. I took the product line he had called Chinac for PMS and guess what, that worked too, and I took the cold rememdy, it worked as well. Something else you may ponder, the CFO for Freddie Mac committed suiced last week due to the pressure from the government according to his neighbors. So everyone, look at the big picture, don't try to just bash a man because the media says you should. Keep focused on the logic.

You are certainly entitled to your own opinion. With all due respect, hopefully, you will become better educated regarding this situation. I would hope that you would therefore you will be completely informed and can make an educated assessment. Please, if you have more information to discuss with me regarding your certainty that Mr. Ellis is a horrible person, feel free. I would appreciate hearing your views. Let me just say, Mr. Ellis has several old employees and distributors that think highly of him to this day. You do not receive that type of loyalty by being a liar or a cheat. You were not invlved with Metabolife so you would not understand. Unfortunately for you, you can only know what the media puts out. That is why it is important for you, not him, you, to know the truth and not just what t.v and newspapers want you to know.
Be well and I look forward to your response should you choose.
Dawn

The pharmaceutical industry is a multi-billion dollar venture. If you are playing in their sandbox, you are playing with some of the biggest of the "big boys" (a close second to the tobacco industry) and you best be prepared to do battle. Even more true if you are an outsider offering what many would consider an "alternative" diet aid. I don't know enough about both sides of this debate to comfortably take a hard position. But I did work in the pharmaceutical industry for the last few years. There is very little they won't or can't do to protect their interests. Did this happen to Ellis? I have no idea. But he was not playing with amateurs when he developed and marketed Metabolife in direct competition to big Pharma. The weight loss market represents a lot of dollar signs. So his success was not appreciated by everyone. Further, it appears he made some admitted mistakes of his own which at the very least aided his demise.

Further, as to a point made by "Visduh" above, on this one I must disagree with you. Not all side effects of regulated pharmaceuticals are known or warned about. Recently drugs like the Duragesic Patch (Fentanyl) was recalled after being on the market for years because people were dying. There's the Oxycontin debacle (highly potent opiod with an unexpectedly high mortality rate with regular usage as prescribed, along with addiction issues); the Flosamax nightmare (osteoporosis medication linked to the development of osteonecrosis, i.e., jaw bone death) and one other opiod and one pain killer (whose names escape me at the moment) but both resulted in deaths when used as prescribed by a certain patient population that was not anticipated. As for diet drugs, the popular and still legal phentermine is linked with hypertension syndrome when used as directed. And these are just the legal, regulated drugs I can think of off the top of my head.

They do not warn you of the above possibilities when the drugs are prescribed. Most "black box" warnings are contained on the package insert which the Pharmacist or Physician sees, not the patient. They do warn you of drowsiness, thirst, alcohol use, etc., ....but not the possibility of a fatality as often that is unknown until after the product is launched. And please remember the Stage 1, 2, 3, and 4 testing done on these drugs are conducted by the Pharma companies themselves. They set the protocols and the data can be skewered anyway it needs to be. Nearly any drug can be fatal under certain conditions. Wrongful death suits are the cost of doing business for big Pharma. (con't...)

Having dished all this truthful dirt (but dirt nonetheless) as to pharmaceuticals, more people benefit from their products than not. Much like the Metabolife controversy. There, however, was one key exception: both the FDA and the DEA monitor the development, the claims, the research, the marketing, prescription patterns, and any adverse results in the field for prescription medication. Unfortunately, this was not the case with Metabolife. Ironically, it might have actually benefited Metabolife or Mr. Ellis if it had been.

I think any story has 3 sides, with the truth being one of them. In reading many of Mr. Bauder's pieces they appear to be well researched, thoughtful, and informative. Sometimes his opinion or perspective does come through in the story as it did with this one. I did pick up on that when I first read this piece in the hard copy version of The Reader. While his opinion about Mr. Ellis was obvious, (and sometimes distracting) it was not so overt as to form my opinion about the matter for me. Clearly though his opinion was formed based upon a lot of work, reading, research, and interviews over a period of time. Whether you agree with his conclusion or not, credit should be given for his efforts in learning the facts, and his willingness to discuss the matter with those who disagree. Readers like myself would welcome a presentation of the facts from another view point in like/kind to Mr. Bauder's, without having to buy a book and without vitriol. This is one forum in which you can do just that. It would be greatly appreciated, especially if it is not in all capital letters.

SurfPuppy: What you are saying has some merit, in regard to "gimmick accounts," to some degree. But some people do just create an account to respond to one thread they feel strongly about with no intention to become a frequent participant to the site. If it is the first time they have ever "blogged"...then it stands to reason you'd only see a new handle with one or two posts limited to a single thread. And while they do all seem to be "saying the same thing" as you wrote...they aren't saying it in the same way. It is very difficult for people to adopt an entirely different writing style or vernacular when writing. Little things often trip them up. I just don't see that in all 10 of the accounts you've nailed in this regard. There is one that I think might be suspect, but not everyone. I think one person creating 10 different accounts is unrealistic...you could be right, but doesn't read as probable to me.

Regardless, it is ridiculous when people do that generally. I've seen one example of it that was so blatant it was funny.

Let me reassure you SurfPuppy619, I am not Mr. Ellis. lallaw is absolutely correct on a few points and sounds as though that person has a level head on their shoulders. I only created this account to respond to what was written. A friend of mine in San Diego sent this link to me and so I decided to respond. Has it ever occured to you that so many people are saying the same thing because it is truth and not to mention what they believe? If you would take the time to read the book (not sure if you have) I believe you would be intrigued. I remember a portion in the book that someone on here made comment about it not being true (if I remember correctly) and I happen to know it to be true because I was there for the immediate conversation that followed. Take into consideration that a person does not receive the type of loyalty that Mr. Ellis has by being a liar and a cheat. You really speak about a situation you know nothing about because you were never a part of it and you never lived it. You only read about it. I have worked in the legal field for many years and it was interesting to see what the attorneys were after. lallaw, thank you for being calm and not agrumentative and for your level head and fairness.

LOL! I must admit, that was funny! I am however, curious to know what you base your seemingly concrete opinion on since it appears you despise Mr. Ellis so much? I am genuinely interested to know. I speak on here to all of you from experience. Also, someone made mention about how Mr. Ellis hired two drug abusers. I think this is a bit unfair to blame solely on Mr. Ellis. No business man knows every detail about a person that works for them. It is impossible for a business owner to screen each person themselves, that is why they hire staff to do the job, you know, the Human Resources Department. Sometimes people make mistakes. I am unclear why all logic and reason seems to escape so many people when it comes to Mr. Ellis? I am not claiming Mr. Ellis to be a perfect angel walking amongst us, I am just saying that things that are out there are not quite true and it would benefit each and everyone of us to educate ourselves and not leave it up to media or powerful figures to tell us what to think. For me, this is a perfect example. I was there at Metabolife, I see the lies printed. I have worked for some prominant figures and you would be suprised what goes on behind closed doors and then the lie that is told or the information left out when presented to the public. I can say, in Mr. Ellis' book, I know he is telling the truth on the parts I was privy to. So you can see where I find the desire to speak to everyone about this when I read Mr. Ellis being bashed on it when he is telling the truth. Most of you probably have never even met the man, or even seen him in person and are basing an opinion on him due to media. That is horrible. Please, educate yourself, find the information for yourself, research, not for Mike Ellis, but for yourself. Thanks for listening.

The below sounds familiar doesn't it? Maybe a little? Do a little serious research on cancer, They have a cure for certain types of cancer (in case you did not know this already. What would happen to all the other companies if there were only one company had the particular product everyone wants/needed? Do you think some people would be angry and try to stop it? I sure do.

Since Metabolife 356 worked good, really good, number one in America. What do you think that would mean for the other products out there? Businesses would close left and right, money would be lost, and the owner of the product that worked would become a very very important and rich individual, then what happens? So please tell me again how it is impossible that people needed Mr. Ellis stopped? He cornered the market folks!

"Ellis reminds me of Kevin Trudeau, the guy on late night TV hawking all the medical miracle cancer curing claims "the drug companies don't want you to know about."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Trude...

However, when the TV cameras went to his house to ask the hard questions he wouldn't come outside.

Ole Kevin's books were quickly revamped and respun as a "free speech" issue.

With Ellis even with those closely involved misspelled, (warning: crooks near by!) People will Still believe because they cannot or will not learn.

Ellis strikes me as the counter-part to tele-evangelists. Be it religion or diet, once again we learn a sucker and his money are soon parted.

"Unfortunately, I’m afraid that’s what this book essentially is: fiction."

How do you know this as fact? You really cannot say it is fiction can you? You were not involved were you? If so, how? What part of the company did you work in? Or what personal assistance did you provide Mr. Ellis? Were you involved in any of the meetings that ever took place that he writes about?

jesus christ, what a bunch of babies - everything we produce now has something bad for us. I see more and more smokers (even in their cars which you wouldn't see here about 1 year ago), drug addicted, overweight, & mentally challenged people in this world. Every other person is on some sort anti-anxiety or anti-drepresant (what is the difference here!) And yes it is ironic that the government is now selling Metabolife, hmmm!

And you two - what are you so pissed off about - did Mike E sleep with you moms or something?

Get over it ---

Non-mike, non-Metabolife, Non-whatever supporter -- just a regular working stiff.